Multiplex sockliner system

ABSTRACT

A sockliner for use in a shoe assembly designed to strategically distribute underfoot pressure and to facilitate air circulation within a shoe. The sockliner includes a base having a top face, a bottom face and a plurality of perforation holes positioned across the length of the base and extending therethrough. The sockliner further includes a plurality of ventilation grooves located along a peripheral edge of the sockliner designed to cooperate with the perforation holes to encourage air flow. The bottom face of the sockliner further includes a plurality of zones, each zone including a plurality of lugs which are strategically designed and located to support the weight of the wearer and provide cushioning to the wearer&#39;s foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a footwear construction and, more particularly, to a sockliner having ventilation grooves and perforation holes for promoting airflow, and having a plurality of zones for housing a network of lugs designed for facilitating foot movement, cushioning, breathability and flexibility.

Numerous attempts have been made over the years to incorporate into footwear means for providing improved cushioning and support within a shoe's construction. Shoes, at their most fundamental level, are intended to provide protection and comfort to the human foot during the course of day-to-day activities. Footwear designs have varied greatly over time as well as from culture to culture, with the predominate focus relating to functionality. Typically, shoe interiors contain a variety of hard materials and/or low density foam and often include substantially flat surfaces which come into direct contact with the foot. Such materials are employed within the construction of footwear interiors in an attempt to provide support and/or cushioning. While these types of materials may provide comfort in the short-term, such materials quickly compress, thus failing to provide sufficient support and/or cushioning over the course of an entire day.

In order to correct for the design deficiencies of such footwear interiors, consumers often purchase aftermarket insoles to insert within shoes they find uncomfortable in an attempt to compensate for the shoe's deficiencies in support and/or comfort. Although many of these aftermarket insoles are marketed as a simple solution for increasing support and/or comfort, their use is often associated with fit problems and ultimately fail to deliver the improvements promised. This is because the space and structural limitations of a variety of footwear interiors were not considered when these insoles were designed. Furthermore, aftermarket insoles are typically a solid piece of foam which traps air, preventing air from flowing under and around the foot, creating an unpleasant environment within the shoe.

Oftentimes, individuals generally find footwear uncomfortable after a full day of wear, regardless of whether the individual is relying only on the support elements built within the shoe's structure or if they have added additional support in the form of a purchased aftermarket insole. Indeed, numerous combinations of shoe constructions and/or separately sold insoles have been employed in an attempt to provide support and/or comfort. In particular, such current support elements fail to adequately distribute an individual's weight during footstrike and are constructed in a way that inhibits airflow around the foot. It is therefore desirable to provide an improved sockliner for integration into various types of footwear which provides increased comfort, flexibility and support while facilitating airflow and breathability within the shoe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a sockliner which uses pressure distribution technology to adequately distribute an individual's weight and includes ventilation mechanisms to facilitate airflow around the foot. The present invention further involves the integration of the present sockliner into a shoe assembly. It is also generally recognized that the sockliner of the present invention is more resistant to “bottoming out” which, for purposes of this disclosure, means that the sockliner will not reach a threshold of force where the single density material will not further compress.

The present sockliner includes a base having a top face that is anatomically shaped to reflect the natural contours of a wearer's foot and is positioned within the interior layer of the shoe. The sockliner extends from the rear of the shoe forward and its plantar surface topography maximizes surface contact with the wearer's foot and increases comfort.

The base further includes a bottom face which has four anatomically placed zones. A network of lugs is positioned within each zone providing perceivably noticeable cushioning and improved support over the course of an entire day. More particularly, each of the zones and the corresponding lugs are sized in accordance with a specific ratio for each zone and for the entire sockliner. The ratio of the surface area of the lugs to the total surface area of the four zones as well as the ratio of the surface area of the lugs within a specific zone to the total surface area of the specific zone are employed on the underside of the sockliner to distribute pressure, facilitate movement and to provide support to the sole during footstrike. Each lug is sized, shaped and spaced strategically within one of the four underfoot zones to support the weight of the wearer and distribute underfoot pressure. Further, the lugs are designed and positioned to create a tactile feeling underneath the foot when the wearer is walking or standing and to compress and recover to their original size throughout the complete gait cycle.

The present sockliner further includes ventilation mechanisms in the form of perforation holes which extend through the top and bottom faces of the sockliner and ventilation grooves which extend around a peripheral edge of the sockliner. The perforation holes are spaced across the length of the sockliner for facilitating air circulation within the shoe assembly. The ventilation grooves are located along the peripheral edge of the sockliner and are designed to cooperate with other shoe components to provide additional spaces for allowing air to pass therethrough.

The combination of the anatomically shaped top face, the four zones, the plurality of lugs, the ventilation mechanisms and the use of a single density material that substantially maintains its form all function to improve the distribution of the underfoot pressure, cushioning and breathability within a shoe assembly. Furthermore, as pressure is applied to the present sockliner, the lugs compress vertically within each zone, causing them to expand horizontally. The spacing of the lugs within each zone provides space for each lug to expand horizontally, allowing for additional compression and cushioning without resistance or pressure increases due to bottoming out.

Specific advantages and features of the present assembly will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of several illustrative embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom plan form view of one embodiment of a sockliner constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the sockliner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the sockliner of FIG. 1 showing the square inches of the surface area of each of the zones and the square inches of the surface area of each of the lugs within a respective zone.

It should be understood that the present drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments disclosed herein are sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should also be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Like numbers utilized throughout the various figures designate like or similar parts or structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Footwear generally includes an upper and a sole assembly that is affixed to the upper or to other components of a shoe. It is envisioned that the upper may embody any number of characteristics of footwear, accommodating variations in style preference. The sole assembly typically includes a peripheral shape designed to conform to the shape of a wearer's foot. For ease of reference herein, the human foot may be generally considered to have three regions: the forefoot region (area adjacent to the toes, and which underlies at least a portion of the phalanges and the metatarsals), the midfoot region (area adjacent to the medial arch between the forefoot and the hind foot regions and which underlies at least a portion of the arch of the wearer's foot) and the hind foot region (area adjacent to the heel, and which underlies at least a portion of the wearer's heel). When referring to such locations and the way in which the regions of the foot are received within a shoe, these terms should be interpreted to include those areas that are disposed generally (and not necessarily directly) beneath the corresponding elements of the foot. It should be understood, however, that the boundaries between the regions are not precise and that these terms should be interpreted loosely and with a great deal of flexibility.

Referring now to the drawings, more particularly by reference numbers, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of a sockliner 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Although the present sockliner 10 is configured and discussed herein as being incorporated into other components of a shoe assembly as will be hereinafter discussed, the present invention could also be incorporated into an aftermarket insole product as well.

The sockliner 10 may be secured within the shoe using any suitable attachment means including, but not limited to, cement adhesives, glue, welt, direct attachment constructions and the like. The peripheral edge 12 of the sockliner 10 may be structured to enable the sockliner 10 to be strobel stitched to form the bottom of the upper portion of a shoe. The peripheral edge 12 of the sockliner 10 may further be modified to enable strobel stitching to the upper, thereby ensuring that the edge thickness and the shape of the sockliner 10 are conducive to stitching and having enough strength to avoid tearing. The sockliner 10 may be stitched and turned to the bottom of the upper to close the shoe. It is also recognized that the sockliner 10 may likewise be attached to the upper of the shoe by cementing the edges of the upper to the peripheral edge 12 of the sockliner 10. Upper materials may be selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability, thus cooperating with the sockliner 10. In still another embodiment, the sockliner 10 can also be fabricated so as to be unsecured within the shoe and removable by the wearer if desired. In this embodiment, the sockliner 10 functions as an aftermarket sockliner which is easily and readily insertable and removable from any particular shoe.

The sockliner 10 is constructed to engage the sole of the wearer's foot and to distribute weight during footstrike, providing support, cushioning and/or airflow thereto. To this end, the base 14 of the sockliner 10 is a layer of foam with an anatomically shaped top surface and an optional top cloth as will be hereinafter explained. The base 14 may be formed from any suitable single density material including, but not limited to, various forms of foam which may be injection molded, compression molded, or poured. Foam types may include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, EVA, blended co-polymers, blown rubber or other resilient foams. The base 14 preferably has a hardness range from about 20 to about 50 on the Asker “C” Scale. Because the sockliner 10 is generally made of a single density material, the material specifications, for the sockliner 10 are engineered to adequately support body weight in critical areas throughout the complete gait cycle without bottoming out. By not fully compressing, peak plantar pressures are avoided and the cushioning material provides long lasting comfort and support to the wearer. In one embodiment, the sockliner 10 may be operably attached to a stabilizer plate (not shown) for providing additional support and cushioning to critical areas of the foot throughout the gait cycle.

More particularly, the sockliner 10 includes a base 14 that may be formed in any suitable style or shape, the base 14 having a top face 16 and a bottom face 18 as best illustrated in FIG. 2. The anatomical shape of the top face 16 likewise maximizes foot contact. The base 14 may have a thickness in the range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm and may further include a plurality of perforation holes 20 for facilitating airflow around the foot. The perforation holes 20 are distributed across the base 14 and around the plurality of lugs 32 as best shown in FIG. 1, each hole 20 extending through the top and bottom faces 16 and 18 of the base 14. In one embodiment, each of the perforation holes 20 may have a diameter in the range from about 1.5 mm to about 4 mm. Preferably, the top face 16 is anatomically shaped to match the natural contour of the wearer's foot, for example, by providing a recessed area for receiving the wearer's heel and/or a raised area for engagement with the wearer's arch. The top face 16 may be exposed for direct contact with the wearer's foot, or, in an alternative embodiment, the top face 16 may be directly or indirectly secured to and covered by a top cloth (not shown). The top cloth may be made of any suitable fabric material including, but not limited to, any nylon or a polyester blend, the top cloth cooperating with the base 14 to receive the wearer's foot and to promote air circulation within the shoe. It is recognized that the perforation holes 20 would also extend through the top cloth as well if used.

The peripheral edge 12 of the sockliner 10 may also extend upwardly becoming the top edge of the sockliner 10. A plurality of ventilation grooves 22 may be located within and/or around the peripheral edge 12, the ventilation grooves 22 extending downwardly along the outside edge portion of the sockliner so as to form a space between the sockliner and other shoe components for allowing air to flow therethrough. The grooves 22 cooperate with the perforation holes 20 to circulate air within the shoe and around a wearer's foot. In one embodiment, each of the ventilation grooves 22 may have a width in the range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm. It is also envisioned that in alternative embodiments, the ventilation grooves 22 may be formed in a variety of different shapes, as desired, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bottom face 18 includes four zones 24, 26, 28 and 30, substantially underlying the above-referenced regions of the wearer's foot. The hind foot zone 24 is positioned to underlie at least an area of the wearer's heel located at the distal end of the shoe. The midfoot zone 26 is positioned to underlie at least an area of the medial arch of the wearer's foot. The metatarsal zone 28 is positioned to underlie at least an area of the forefoot where the metatarsals are located. The phalange zone 30 is positioned to underlie at least an area of the forefoot where the phalanges are located at the proximate end of the shoe.

The bottom face 18 further includes a plurality of anatomically placed lugs 32 for engaging with the shoe assembly as will be hereinafter further explained. The lugs 32 could likewise be made from a variety of different types of foam material which is injection molded, compression molded, or poured. The foam material may again include, but is not limited to, polyurethane, EVA, blended co-polymers, blown rubber or other resilient foams. In one embodiment, the thickness of each lug 32 can be in the range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm; the width of each lug 32 can be in the range from about 5 mm to about 30 mm; and the length of each lug 32 can be in the range from about 5 mm to about 20 mm. The lugs 32 may also have a hardness in the range from about 20 to about 50 on the Asker “C” Scale. The lugs 32 evenly distribute weight and pressure; they compress and recover to their original size giving better cushioning and support; and the absence of foam under certain areas of the sockliner such as between the various lugs 32 gives multi-directional flexibility for natural foot motion.

Specifically, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the total approximate surface area of the lugs 32 in all four (4) zones 24, 26, 28 and 30 is approximately 6.809 in² whereas the total approximate surface area of the bottom face 18 is approximately 26.981 in². This results in a ratio of total surface area of all of the lugs 32 in bottom face 18 to the total surface area of the bottom face 18 itself being in the neighborhood of approximately 0.2523, or approximately 0.25. More particularly, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the total approximate surface area of the lugs 32A in zone 24 is approximately 1.946 in² and the total approximate surface area of zone 24 is approximately 7.91 in². This results in a ratio of the total surface area of the lugs 32A in zone 24 to the total surface area of zone 24 being in the neighborhood of approximately 0.2459, or approximately 0.25. The total approximate surface area of the lugs 32B in zone 26 is approximately 1.421 in² and the total approximate surface area of zone 26 is approximately 0.964 in². This results in a ratio of the total surface area of the lugs 32B in zone 26 to the total surface area of zone 26 being in the neighborhood of approximately 0.2382, or approximately 0.24. The total approximate surface area of the lugs 32C in zone 28 is approximately 2.314 in² and the total approximate surface area of zone 28 is approximately 8.671 in². This results in a ratio of the total surface area of the lugs 32C in zone 28 to the total surface area of zone 28 being in the neighborhood of approximately 0.2668, or approximately 0.27. Still further, the total approximate surface of the lugs 32D in zone 30 is approximately 1.128 in² and the total approximate surface area of zone 30 is approximately 4.435 in². This results in a ratio of the total surface area of the lugs 32D in zone 30 to the total surface area of zone 30 being in the neighborhood of approximately 0.2543, or approximately 0.25.

It is recognized and anticipated that the overall total surface area of the bottom face 18, the total surface area of all of the lugs 32, and the total surface area of each of the zones 24, 26, 28 and 30 as well as the total surface area of each of the respective lugs 32A, 32B, 32C and 32D within the respective zones will change and vary depending upon the shoe size of the sockliner, the type of shoe into which the sockliner will be placed, and the particular size, shape and application of the sockliner. Nevertheless, in a preferred embodiment, the lugs 32 may be distributed amongst each of the respective zones 24, 26, 28, 30 in any manner consistent with the various ratios set forth above. Still further, it is recognized that the lugs 32 may be distributed amongst each of the zones 24, 26, 28 and 30 such that all of the various ratios discussed above fall in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3. This still provides improved cushioning, flexibility, support, and weight distribution.

In one embodiment, each of the hind foot lugs 32A may be positioned within the hind foot zone 24, regardless of the size and shape of the lugs 32A and the zone 24, so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas (lugs 32A/zone 24) is approximately 0.25, or so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas falls in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3. In one embodiment, each of the midfoot lugs 32B may be positioned within the midfoot zone 26, regardless of the size and shape of the lugs 32B and the zone 26, so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas (lugs 32B/zone 26) is approximately 0.24, or so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas falls in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3. In one embodiment, each of the metatarsal lugs 32C may be positioned within the metatarsal zone 28, regardless of the size and shape of the lugs 32C and the zone 28, so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas (lugs 32C/zone 28) is approximately 0.27, or so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas falls in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3. In one embodiment, each of the phalange lugs 32D may be positioned within the phalange zone 30, regardless of the size and shape of the lugs 32D and the zone 30, so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas (lugs 32D/zone 30) is approximately 0.25, or so long as the ratio of the respective surface areas falls in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3. It is also envisioned that in alternative embodiments, the lugs 32 may be located in any number of positions across the bottom face 18 and that the number of lugs 32 located within a particular zone and/or the size and/or shape of lugs 32 employed may vary, as desired, within each respective zone, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is also envisioned that the materials which form the base 14 and the lugs 32 could be different materials, or the same materials, or different materials with different hardnesses. It is further envisioned that the base 14 and the lugs 32 could be integrally formed as one member, or they could be made as separate members which may be operably coupled or connected together. Additionally, the heights of each of the lugs 32 may vary, as desired, to facilitate cushioning and/or shoe traction. In alternative embodiments, the lugs 32 may be positioned on the top face 16 of the base 14 for engaging with the sole of a wearer's foot.

Further, the overall dimensions of the present sockliner 10 as well as the specific shape and configuration of the various sections thereof are also subject to wide variations and may be sized and shaped into a wide variety of different sizes and configurations so as to be compatible with the size and shape of the particular footwear into which the present structure may be inserted, incorporated and/or secured, or to conform to any space limitations associated therewith without impairing the teachings and practice of the present invention. It is also understood that various modifications may be made to all of the various embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel sockliner which promotes airflow and facilitates support and cushioning throughout the complete gait cycle. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A sockliner comprising: a base having a top face and a bottom face; a plurality of perforation holes positioned across the length of said base and extending therethrough; a plurality of zones located on the surface of the bottom face, each zone having a plurality of lugs extending downwardly from said bottom face for providing support and cushioning to the foot.
 2. The sockliner of claim 1 including a plurality of ventilation grooves located along a peripheral edge of the sockliner.
 3. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein said top face is anatomically shaped.
 4. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the total surface area of the bottom face to the total surface area of said plurality of lugs is approximately 0.25.
 5. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein said plurality of zones includes four zones, a hindfoot zone, a midfoot zone, a metatarsal zone and a phalange zone, at least one of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zone of approximately 0.25.
 6. The sockliner of claim 5 wherein at least one of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zone of approximately 0.24.
 7. The sockliner of claim 6 wherein at least one of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zone of approximately 0.27.
 8. The sockliner of claim 7 wherein at least two of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zones of approximately 0.25.
 9. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the total surface area of the bottom face to the total surface area of said plurality of lugs is in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3.
 10. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein said plurality of zones includes four zones, a hindfoot zone, a midfoot zone, a metatarsal zone and a phalange zone, at least one of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zone in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3.
 11. The sockliner of claim 10 wherein at least two of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zones in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3.
 12. The sockliner of claim 10 wherein at least three of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zones in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3.
 13. The sockliner of claim 10 wherein all of said zones having a ratio of total surface area of lugs to total surface area of said zones in the range of between 0.2 and 0.3.
 14. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein the hardness of the base is in the range of about 20 to about 50 on the Asker “C” Scale.
 15. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein the hardness of the lugs is in the range of about 20 to about 50 on the Asker “C” Scale.
 16. The sockliner of claim 1 wherein the diameter of the perforation holes is in the range of about 1.5 mm to about 4 mm.
 17. The sockliner of claim 2 wherein the width of the grooves is in the range of about 1 mm to about 10 mm.
 18. A sockliner comprising: a base having a top face and a bottom face; a plurality of perforation holes positioned across the length of said base and extending therethrough; a plurality of ventilation grooves located along a peripheral edge of the sockliner; and a plurality of zones located on said bottom face, each zone having a plurality of lugs extending downwardly from said bottom face for providing support and cushioning, said lugs being spaced within each said zone so as to allow sufficient space for each lug to compress and expand horizontally relative to each other.
 19. The sockliner of claim 13 wherein said top face is anatomically shaped. 